Christmas in Japan is just a huge anti-climax. The decorations are set up, the shops all play Christmas music and start selling all the Christmas garbage 2-3 months early. Then, suddenly, it's December 26.
I like seeing women walking around in cute outfits. Oh, but that happens all the time. I like feeling superior to everyone because I have nothing but contempt for KFC.
Christmas isn't celebrated in Japan. Everything finishes on Christmas Eve.
I loathe Christmas in Japan so much I now go home if I can to celebrate. I hate KFC and that vile strawberry cake. I hate the badly decorated trees and shops with Santas and those awful ads for TokyoDisney and Universal Studios. I hate it isn't a public holiday. So depressing.
Here in the UK we have several days off, tons of decent food and booze for non-stop indulgence and everyone has a laugh and goes to the pub. Why would I stay in Japan?
Will be spending Christmas alone in Japan. But I have bagged myself a turkey (or at least the promise of one) so I'm going to cook a nice dinner for myself...roast tatties too.
One thing you can't get in Japan is a nice dinner that doesn't skimp.
The food is awful - I avoid the dead birds and strawberry cream cakes and make my own mincemeat/mincepies, fruitcake with marzipan & icing, stollen, stuffing, chestnut 'sausage' rolls and a veggie main. A friend sends me a very welcome pud every year.
I think it's sad when we go to ToyRUs etc., in the lead-up to Christmas and parents are shopping with their kids. Where's the magic?
The neighbours think I'm weird/lazy cos the decorations stay up until Twelfth Night.
The absolute worst thing about Christmas in Japan is that it ends on the 24th.
The biggest problem is that there is no real "holiday season" here. Back home, the whole time is 2-3 weeks of football, nachos, and hot turkey sandwiches. Christmas and New Year's blend together seamlessly.
In Japan, there is a huge rush for Christmas to be over because New Year's is coming up soon! There is no way to reconcile the two holidays because they are from such different cultural traditions. So, the game is on to get the Christmas stuff put away and get out the traditional Japanese decorations for Gantan. That's why it is so jarring to foreigners- no restful time between Christmas and New Year's to digest the mountains of food we eat and take back gifts we don't like. It's as if someone threw a switch and Japan suddenly reverted back to the Edo era.
For me X-Mas us all about the Family get-together in the 24th, no special food, etc.
I have experienced X-Mas in a few countries and all celebrated it different to my own.
Hate the commercialisation that now exists in many countries, dislike that 25th here is most about couples, hate 'Last Christmas', "Jingle Bells(truly Thanksgiving song not X-Mas). Love 'Christmas Eve'(Yamashita Tatsuro).
But interesting to see the different cultures and customs.
I just think it's really odd here. There's so much build-up but then it's just a normal working day and no-one does anything special. It's especially weird coming off of Halloween, which clearly does a payoff (in the Tokyo area at least).
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Disillusioned
Christmas in Japan is just a huge anti-climax. The decorations are set up, the shops all play Christmas music and start selling all the Christmas garbage 2-3 months early. Then, suddenly, it's December 26.
maybeperhapsyes
Disillusioned...100% agree.
The 26th, you'd never know.
What I like is the fact that what they do do...they do pretty well.
Midnight Sun Tribe
What I like:
I like seeing women walking around in cute outfits. Oh, but that happens all the time. I like feeling superior to everyone because I have nothing but contempt for KFC.
What I don't like:
Having an unrelenting contempt for KFC.
Strangerland
I actually did the KFC Christmas dinner maybe 5-6 years ago, and say what you want, the chicken was absolutely delicious.
Midnight Sun Tribe
Fair enough. I have never had KFC, so I admit that my contempt is arbitrary and possibly misplaced.
yinyang128
I like the Christmas cakes, illuminations, grilled chicken and seeing my kids happy faces when we got them Christmas presents.
One suggestion maybe more people singing live Christmas carols in the streets would be nice.
Nothing that I don't like as the only thing I'll ever need for Christmas is the joy of my family.
Luddite
Christmas isn't celebrated in Japan. Everything finishes on Christmas Eve.
I loathe Christmas in Japan so much I now go home if I can to celebrate. I hate KFC and that vile strawberry cake. I hate the badly decorated trees and shops with Santas and those awful ads for TokyoDisney and Universal Studios. I hate it isn't a public holiday. So depressing.
Here in the UK we have several days off, tons of decent food and booze for non-stop indulgence and everyone has a laugh and goes to the pub. Why would I stay in Japan?
maybeperhapsyes
Luddite
I can't get back to Scotland this year. Boo hoo!
Will be spending Christmas alone in Japan. But I have bagged myself a turkey (or at least the promise of one) so I'm going to cook a nice dinner for myself...roast tatties too.
One thing you can't get in Japan is a nice dinner that doesn't skimp.
Xmas dinner is all about seconds!
maybeperhapsyes
Show me the way Reckless! :)
........please!
Wrembreck
Roast your own chicken and stay clear of the foul butter cream cakes and things aren't too bad.
maybeperhapsyes
Wrembreck
Is that cooking advice or some clever euphemism?
Coconut H2O
I don’t like that most people have never heard of Hanukkah here.
I don’t mind most of the tunes I hear walking around, with the exception of the super Jesusy ones.
Jimizo
Wham’s ‘Last Christmas’ is appalling to hear but it isn’t as bad as ‘When a child is born’ by Johnny Mathis.
Christmas is reasonably acceptable here.
cleo
I like the the songs and the lights.
The food is awful - I avoid the dead birds and strawberry cream cakes and make my own mincemeat/mincepies, fruitcake with marzipan & icing, stollen, stuffing, chestnut 'sausage' rolls and a veggie main. A friend sends me a very welcome pud every year.
I think it's sad when we go to ToyRUs etc., in the lead-up to Christmas and parents are shopping with their kids. Where's the magic?
The neighbours think I'm weird/lazy cos the decorations stay up until Twelfth Night.
The absolute worst thing about Christmas in Japan is that it ends on the 24th.
Wakarimasen
Like: KFC. Cute Santas. Illuminations. Snow (sometimes).
Don't: Endless Xmas tunes everywhere. Even more crazed shopping. Immigrants whining about how it ain't as great here as at home.
FizzBit
What I like: see pic above
What I don' like: Gaijins griping about KFC or December 26th.
FizzBit
Just a tad off-topic eh? ; )
Too funny
Wrembreck
@maybeperhapsyes
Take it anyway you like ;)
Attilathehungry
The biggest problem is that there is no real "holiday season" here. Back home, the whole time is 2-3 weeks of football, nachos, and hot turkey sandwiches. Christmas and New Year's blend together seamlessly.
In Japan, there is a huge rush for Christmas to be over because New Year's is coming up soon! There is no way to reconcile the two holidays because they are from such different cultural traditions. So, the game is on to get the Christmas stuff put away and get out the traditional Japanese decorations for Gantan. That's why it is so jarring to foreigners- no restful time between Christmas and New Year's to digest the mountains of food we eat and take back gifts we don't like. It's as if someone threw a switch and Japan suddenly reverted back to the Edo era.
pacint
For me X-Mas us all about the Family get-together in the 24th, no special food, etc.
I have experienced X-Mas in a few countries and all celebrated it different to my own.
Hate the commercialisation that now exists in many countries, dislike that 25th here is most about couples, hate 'Last Christmas', "Jingle Bells(truly Thanksgiving song not X-Mas). Love 'Christmas Eve'(Yamashita Tatsuro).
But interesting to see the different cultures and customs.
Aoi Azuuri
Christmas in Japan is mere greedy business.
lostrune2
Likes: getting gifts
Dislikes: giving gifts
Oh wait, reverse that - likes giving the gifts of love, lol
borscht
Likes: they’ve taken religion out of celebrating Christmas - go to KFC then a love hotel and call it a night.
Dislikes: It ends so quick.
ThePBot
As long as I don't hear "Wonderful Christmas Time", by Paul McCartney, it's generally a like.
DiscoJ_2
I just think it's really odd here. There's so much build-up but then it's just a normal working day and no-one does anything special. It's especially weird coming off of Halloween, which clearly does a payoff (in the Tokyo area at least).
katsu78
Likes: There's no religious far-right whinging about how you're not celebrating Christmas correctly.
Dislikes: There's instead a broad group of foreigners whinging about how you're not celebrating Christmas correctly.